


Snowdrift

by holyhoneybees



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Huddling For Warmth, I ain't afraid of snow ghost!, Light Angst, Past Lewis/Vivi mentioned, Plot kicks in around chapter four or five..., Post-Canon, Post-Reconciliation, Pre-OT3, Slow Build, Snowball Fight, Well what I consider to be light angst at least, christmas mention, some peril, teen for swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 20,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24034036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holyhoneybees/pseuds/holyhoneybees
Summary: Three friends and  their dog get lost in a snowstorm while investigating the paranormal. Amidst swirling flurries of white, some lose their way and get lost in their memories, others lose sight of their friends and loved ones, and an unforgiving winter quickly fills in the footprints one would follow to get back home.---I'M BACK!
Relationships: Arthur & Lewis & Mystery & Vivi (Mystery Skulls Animated)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 94





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started this back in November but sadly never finished the work. I was thinking of holding off till it started to snow again, but figured now was as good a time as any to try and finish this.
> 
> The title is taken from Snail's House song "[snowdrift]" which you can check out here!
> 
> Also, I'm pretty new to this, so let me know what you think or if you have tagging suggestions in the comments!

It was late December and the Nebraska landscape was quiet in a way that only winter brings. The flat plains that stretched to either side of the roadway were barren and frozen, though the month had yet to see any snowfall. The somber atmosphere was interrupted by the steady rumble of a boxy, yellow van rolling along the empty country highway, heading north. Inside the car, music played, punctuated by soft snoring and the occasional thump of a dog’s tail that wagged in its sleep, the driver tunelessly humming along and tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, one metal and the other flesh and bone. As for conversation, it was silent, though not for lack of conscious company. Arthur Kingsmen stole a glance out of the corner of his eye at the specter he shared the front seat with, the ghost staring absentmindedly out of the window at the passing landscape. If it weren’t for the fact that they had tried—and in his own case, succeeded—to kill each other a little over a year ago, Arthur might have called it a companionable silence. As it was, the lack of conversation since Vivi had crawled into the back of the van for a nap was making him nervous. He glanced at Lewis once again before turning back to the roadway with a small sigh, rubbing tiredly at his eyes with his right hand.

Things had gotten better between them. Things had been getting better for all of them. The sight alone of Mystery didn’t leave Arthur shaking, plastered to the opposite side of the van. Vivi was getting her memory back steadily, despite the occasional lapse they stumbled across. Lewis…well, Lewis wasn’t trying to kill him anymore. The purple specter didn’t even glare at him anymore. Forgiveness had been achieved despite the niggling doubts at the back of Arthur’s mind that whispered he didn’t deserve it. They had gone from enemies, to strangers, to almost-friends. They had relearned to occupy the same space, even chatting sociably on occasion without Vivi or Mystery playing mediator. It was progress, slow progress maybe, but Arthur wasn’t sure if there was any precedence for how long it might take to repair your friendship with the spirit of your once best friend. If he was being honest, he was happy just to have the chance. Vivi had wanted to celebrate their progress with a new case, one that required road tripping, though Arthur suspected that her decision was partially fueled by her exuberance and impatience at seeing them be friends again. _It must have been hard for her to get her memories back at a point in time where everything had changed so much,_ Arthur mused, once again rubbing at his eyes as he tried to rein in his thoughts. His mind tended to wander when he was tired, and Arthur Kingsmen, certified insomniac, was always tired.

He glanced at Lewis once again, before exchanging the heat blasting out the van’s vents for cold air, shivering despite his vest being zipped up over the long-sleeved white shirt he’d swapped for his usual tee. Arthur knew Lewis would be unbothered, unable to feel the temperature change, and Vivi, bundled in the back of the van in heavy blankets and cuddled up to a fluffy dog, wasn’t likely to notice. He needed to stay awake and the chilly air would help. His coffee thermos had long since run dry, as had the conversation, and after six long hours of driving on only two hours of sleep, anything stimulating would be a welcome change. He had to stay awake, he had to keep driving, he had to be _usefu_ —he had to stay awake. His discordant humming choked off and his fingers tightened around the wheel, ceasing their increasingly frenzied tapping. He glanced at the van’s clock, trying to calculate how much longer it would be before they could pull over in a town to rest, before giving up on the math when he realized he had no idea how far away the next stop was. His mind circled back to the silence, and he warred with himself about conversation topics, his mind buzzing with a dozen unsatisfactory attempts to break the silence.

He wondered if it was his fault things were so quiet now. Had he done something wrong, said something wrong? Should he apologize, just in case? Would it be weird to start speaking again now? Would Lewis be annoyed? Arthur felt the irrational need to say something, _anything_ begin to bubble up in his chest as his mind began to spiral out of control, taking apart the last quiet hour like an engine to see if he could figure out the trouble. He had to come up with a conversation topic soon or he would inevitably blurt out the first thing that came to mind or else launch into a long-winded babble about mechanics, robotics, or— _god forbid_ —van maintenance. He could feel the pressure building in his chest, climbing up his throat, and did his best to weld his mouth firmly shut against any awkward attempts at small talk he might make. Then Lewis sat up abruptly, causing Arthur to jolt in his seat, a strangled noise escaping through his clamped-shut lips. Lewis was staring intently in his direction. The dire need to fill the silence was becoming too much to contend with as Arthur opened his mouth to launch into what he hoped wouldn’t be some diatribe about how the number of lug nuts didn’t necessarily equate high performance for a car, just take race cars for example—

_Splat!_

Arthur startled at the small sound of something hitting the windshield, whipping his head around to Lewis when he heard a soft utterance emit from his skull.

“Look.” Lewis had hunched forward in his seat, crowding his large frame into the windshield of the van, looking upwards with a dreamy expression. Arthur would be ceaselessly frustrated trying to figure out the logistics of how a skull could so effortlessly emote had the expression on the specter’s face not been so soft, so human and _alive_ , leaving a bittersweet feeling to grow in Arthur’s chest.

“It’s snowing,” Lewis said. Arthur blinked as he comprehended the words, before likewise craning forwards in his seat and turning his face skywards. Thick, fluffy white flakes were drifting down from the pale grey sky, making a lazy descent to the world below. He gazed at the beginnings of the flurry with childlike wonder, a small smile slipping onto his face without his notice. He’d seen snow before of course, experienced it in person too, though the opportunity to do so in Tempo, Texas, hadn’t presented itself. Arthur remembered being young, before he’d come to live with his Uncle Lance, his father had tried to show him how to have a snowball fight during a winter they’d spent in Colorado. He never quite got the form right, the snow turning into powder or wet misshapen lumps between his mittens, as opposed to the seemingly perfect spheres his father made. When it came to throwing snowballs, his weak, noodle-like arms weren’t able to muster up much force, while his dad had let loose like canon fire. Arthur had taken one of the frozen projectiles to the face and immediately started crying. He still remembered his father’s large, apologetic smile as he’d laughed and ruffled his hair before he’d taken him to a local diner for hot chocolate, tears quickly forgotten by the child. It was a good memory, and he found his eyes misting over as he once again wished things could go back to the way they were before. As much as he loved his Uncle Lance, as happy as he was to have Lewis back, even in his present condition, he still wished he could turn back the clock.

“Hey, eyes on the road,” Lewis chuckled in the seat beside him, shaking Arthur free of the memory he’d been caught in. The mechanic quickly scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeves, hoping his spectral passenger hadn’t noticed. He returned his attention to the pavement ahead of him, just in time to see a pale figure standing in the road only a few feet from the front of the speeding van.

 _“Shit!”_ Arthur exclaimed, slamming his foot down on the brake, the tires screeching in protest at the sudden deceleration until the van came to a stop ten feet further down the pavement. He sat there breathing heavily in his seat, Lewis clinging to the side of the van as if he still had a life to fear for. In the back, the dog muttered choice words under his breath at the rude awakening and Vivi mumbled as she slowly became alert.

“Arthur, what the—” Lewis began from the front seat, irritation creeping into his tone. But Arthur had already thrown the driver’s side door wide open and was scrambling outside, uncaring to hear the rest of Lewis’s expletive. He stumbled along the roadway searching for the figure he had seen just moments before, hoping he wouldn’t see them lying unmoving in the middle of the road but expecting it nonetheless. His surroundings were as empty as they had been over the last few hours though.

“Shit. Shit, _shit…”_ Arthur cursed under his breath. He’d just run somebody over, most likely _killing_ them since he’d been strictly adhering to the fifty-five mile per hour speed limit, and this time there was nobody to blame but _himself._ No extenuating circumstances, no green spirits possessing him, just _him_ and—

“Arthur, what’s going on?” Lewis spoke up suddenly from behind him, causing the shorter man to startle. 

“Th-there was somebody in the road,” Arthur responded, swallowing thickly. They had made so much progress and all of it was going to be undone because he was a _murderer_ again. Lewis merely regarded him quietly, his look appraising. Arthur squirmed under the scrutiny.

“I-I tried to stop, but by the time I saw them there was no…there was no way…” Arthur said, an all-consuming sick-feeling opening up like a pit in his stomach as he trailed off weakly, “We need to find their…body…so we can, y-y’know…”

“Arthur,” Lewis was looking at him with a concerned expression, his head shaking slightly as he slowly said, “there wasn’t anybody in the road.”

“W-what?” Arthur said dumbly, his mouth suddenly dry, “B-but I saw…” He trailed off as he heard the telltale click of dog claws on pavement as Mystery joined them. 

“Arthur,” the disguised kitsune said calmly, “If there was anything in this vicinity that you could have struck with the van, I would have sensed it.” The dog quirked an eyebrow at him as he made to interrupt. 

“And even if you don’t find yourself able to rely on the _incredible mystic abilities of a 600-year-old kitsune,_ my nose would detect it even without the aid of magic. There’s no one out here but us.” 

“O-Oh,” Arthur said, his shoulders slumped as he released a shaky breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, too quickly taking another, and another to refill his lungs. Two feet clad in thick blue socks entered his field of vision as he stared down at the asphalt, the fourth and final member of their group finally roused and joining where they’d gathered on the road. If Vivi had said anything upon her arrival though, it was lost to the ringing in his ears accompanied by the pounding of his heart. He massaged his sternum absently. 

“Oh,” he repeated numbly, followed by a high-pitched stressed sound that could have been mistaken for a giggle if not for the utter lack of mirth in the noise. Panic set upon him in full force then, his breath hitching as he rode out the panic attack like a wave, the fit of hyperventilation ebbing away after a few minutes, awareness of his surroundings creeping back in.

“You okay, Artie?” Vivi asked, her voice still sleepy, but her eyes sharp and focused on him, brimming with worry.

“I’m okay,” he said, almost automatically, before taking another moment to catch his breath, “Just…relieved. I-Is it bad that I feel like I’m getting better at having panic attacks?” 

“I don’t like the thought of you having that much practice at it,” Vivi mumbled, pressing in close to her friend’s side and wrapping him up in the blanket she’d dragged out with her. Arthur hummed noncommittally, grateful for the shared warmth. He felt a hand on his chin, gently tilting his head back.

“Have you been sleeping?” Lewis inquired, peering closely at Arthur’s face, though the mechanic suspected that the deep shadows and bags under his eyes didn’t require that close of an inspection to be seen.

“I know I saw something,” Arthur said half-heartedly, avoiding the question the specter had posed to him. He had been so certain he’d seen something in the road, but his friends’ reassurances were weakening his conviction. 

“Maybe I am a little tired,” he admitted sheepishly, hands once again coming up to scrub at his eyes.

“How about you let Lewis drive for a little while?” Vivi suggested, already tugging Arthur towards the back of the van, the mechanic easily lead away despite the protests he voiced. Vivi ushered him through the rear doors, depositing him on top of the sleeping bag she’d used earlier and quickly burying him under a pile of blankets.

“Just for a little while,” Arthur said tiredly, his eyelids already beginning to droop, “And no…no changing the van into…whatever it was you did to that monster truck.” He thought he heard Lewis huff a laugh as he burrowed further into the blankets, still warm from Vivi’s nap. He listened as she and Lewis climbed into the front of the van, Mystery’s legs scrambling briefly to gain purchase on the seat, a quiet conversation starting between the ghost and the girl in hushed tones undoubtedly for his own benefit. Arthur sighed as he relaxed further into the warm environment. He’d rest, just for a little while, just enough so that his eyes were clear and focused and didn’t conjure imaginary obstacles in the road.

Just a little while…

Arthur dozed off within minutes, lulled to sleep by Lewis’s voice as it rumbled through the specter’s chest and the familiar scent of blueberry shampoo on the pillow he’d borrowed.

In the distance, a single, silent figure stood, with pale skin and white hair. The snow swirled around her, the spitting snowflakes quickly worked up into a flurry, landing on her nose and blue lips, undisturbed by her lack of breath or body heat. Had one of the Mystery Skulls looked in the rearview mirror of the van, they might have caught a glimpse of her as she faded from view, blending into the wintry landscape, scentless and shapeless as the snow that fell from the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just barely missed getting this up this weekend, mostly because I cannot for the life of me figure out how to do indentations at the beginning of paragraphs, but from here on out I'll do my best to stick to updating on Saturdays!
> 
> EDIT: Had to change the chapter ending because what I had originally didn’t transition to the next chapter quite right.
> 
> EDIT Part 2, The Return of the Edits: Shout out to Iamthesmileyface who pointed out that the devilish darling of the Pepper household is named Cayenne, not Carolina! Looks like I got mixed up with Carolina Reapers, whoops ^^; Chapter has been edited to correct her name to Cayenne, thank you Iamthesmileyface for helping me fix this!

The snow was starting to come down much steadier than it had just a couple hours earlier, already beginning to accumulate along the road banks. Swirling white eddies were left behind in the van’s wake as Lewis Pepper drove onwards to their destination. He was paying half a mind to Vivi’s excited chattering, emitting the occasional hum of agreement as her stream-of-consciousness-styled ramblings flitted from whatever thought grabbed her attention to the next. One minute she was gushing about the snow falling down around them, caught up in a story shared by her grandmother about Japanese legends of snow hags, the next minute spent wondering where the turtles went in winter. Then she was theorizing about what was behind the mysterious haunting she had determined their group was going to be looking into up north, weighing the odds that it was actually a ghost against just another cranky old man in a rubber mask. Even if Lewis had been able to give her diatribe his full attention, the ghost never would have been able to keep up with her train of thought. Still, Vivi was undeniably adorable when she spoke about something she was truly passionate about, and luckily, Vivi was truly passionate about a great many things. Their relationship may have been put on hold while they came to terms with his own death and Vivi’s returned memories, but it was hard not to enjoy spending time around somebody so full of life. Lewis was reminded time and again of why he’d fallen in love with her in the first place. He admired the gleam in her eyes, the animated way in which she spoke with her hands waving through the air, and the conscious effort she was currently putting into keeping her voice down so as to not wake up their passenger sleeping in the back of the van, having to check herself every few minutes as her voice climbed in volume in direct relation to her increasing excitement. He also appreciated that Vivi was okay with mostly just talking to herself, allowing his own mind to wander, watching the gathering snow with excitement.

Lewis had never seen snow before. He’d never been farther north than Texas prior to joining the Pepper household, but even after having become part of the family, there was always work to be done in the restaurant, especially around the holidays. It was rare that Ma and Pa Pepper were able to take time off to travel far enough away from home to see snow, and even after Lewis had gotten his driver’s license and gained that modicum of independence, he’d never strayed far in case he was needed for babysitting his little sisters or bussing tables. Even their most daring paranormal escapades hadn’t lead them far enough north to experience winter. He had always dreamed of travelling one day, exploring someplace new and exciting with his friends or taking his adoptive parents on a badly deserved vacation. _Now he’d never get the chance, his life cut too short at twenty-one-years-old._ The thought came into his head, unbidden and unwanted, and Lewis tried to tamp down the responding flicker of anger that flared to life in his chest. _It wasn’t Arthur’s fault,_ he reminded himself, _I have a second chance, I can make the most of it._ Deep down, Lewis knew it was true. Even if the most he did to blend in with the living was to stick a bandage over the hole where his heart used to be, Arthur and Vivi would gladly stand by him, accompanying him to even the kitschiest of tourist traps. If he wanted to take an extra day or two to enjoy the snow after they wrapped up their current adventure, Lewis was certain his friends would be more than willing to indulge him. He felt the last vestiges of the familiar burning rage slip away at the happy thought, quelled back to the ever-present ember that seemed to give him life. He gave another contented hum as Vivi’s self-sustained conversation switched topics to the latest batch of used books that had been delivered to the Tome Tomb, a series of increasingly laughable and cringey erotica novels that Duet had pushed to the far back of the store. The snow had begun to fall in earnest now, the first sparse spitting of snowflakes having evolved into a dizzying flurry. It was incredibly beautiful Lewis decided, the ground already covered in a couple inches of the quickly accumulating snow, blanketing the dull, flat plains they had been seeing over the past several hours. The ghost would have smiled at the wonder of it all had he the ability to do so.

Then it all went to hell.

In the increasing onslaught of snow, their surroundings became more difficult to see as the color white took over the landscape. The yellow sign pointing him in the direction of the curving road wasn’t visible until Lewis was almost on top of it, the guardrail marking the edge of the asphalt suddenly coming into view. He cranked the wheel hard to the right to avoid it, the van fishtailing wildly, and slammed his foot down hard on the brakes as he lost control. Lewis could feel the wheels lock up as the car began to slide. Vivi screamed beside him as Arthur popped his head up from the back, desperately grabbing onto the seat in front of him as he shouted,

“Pump the brakes, _pump the brakes!”_ Lewis lifted his foot and pressed it firmly down on the brake pedal again, pulling on the wheel to try and get the van angled back towards where he hoped the road was. There was a loud bang as something hit the side of the vehicle, followed by a long scraping sound, before the car finally came to a stop. For a moment, they all sat in the van, quiet save for the mechanic’s rapid, shallow breathing. Lewis could see the wild, swerving path cut by the car’s tires through the snow behind them in the rearview mirror and quickly phased through the door to inspect the damage he’d caused. The guardrail he’d seen too late was bent at an odd angle and had left a large dent on the side of the van, as well as some scratched paint and a broken taillight. The scratches alone were sure to cause their resident mechanic some grief. Still, he knew it could have been much worse. He remembered driving this same vehicle off the road before as he had pursued it with a ghostly semi-truck, hellbent on tracking down his murderer. Thinking back to the sight of the van crashed into the side of Kingsmen Mechanics, the windshield shattered and Arthur slumped over the wheel in a daze…it had been inconsequential at the time when his desired revenge was so close at hand, but now the thought was terrifying. He’d been so absorbed in his misguided pursuit of justice for himself, he hadn’t even thought that Vivi was there, tossed about like a rag doll in the back of the van as it was forced off the road. The thought of how close he’d come to hurting his friends in his blind rage still haunted him. He gave a heavy sigh and phased back in through the side of the vehicle, not even halfway through before Arthur started peppering him with questions as to the van’s condition, his expression mournful as Lewis provided his assessment.

“What happened, Lew?” Vivi asked from up front, her eyes wide as she clung to Mystery, the dog letting out an irritated sounding wheeze.

“I can’t see the road very well and I lost control of the car,” Lewis admitted, abashed.

“You gotta be careful slamming on the brakes like that,” Arthur cautioned, “You’ll just skid in the snow if you do.”

“I’ll be more careful,” Lewis promised, reclaiming his position in the driver’s seat.

“I don’t think so,” Mystery said, wriggling free of Vivi’s death-grip on him, “Unless your ghostly abilities now include the power to actually drive in the snow, I suggest you Texas natives stay put.” Lewis had to agree that staying in place may be for the best. The snow didn’t appear to be letting up, and if they were down to Vivi as their backup driver… As he mulled over their options, he could see Arthur offering a tiny nod of agreement with the dog, and even Vivi looked like she was considering a delay in their arrival to their final destination. For her to seriously be considering postponing an investigation, the decision had to be clear.

“Alright,” Lewis said, “We should go a couple miles further, see if we can find a place to stop for the night.”

“Uh, Lew?” Vivi said, “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but we’re in the middle of nowhere. Last I checked the map, civilization is a couple hours away in either direction.”

“Well, we can’t stay here,” he reasoned, “Someone else could miss the turn and run into us. Just give me a few minutes, we’ll find a better spot to park the van until it lets up. I’ll drive slow.”

* * *

After crawling further down the road at an excruciatingly slow pace, Lewis had spotted a small clearing to park the car in. Mystery and Vivi had jumped out of the van almost as soon as it came to a halt, excited to be able to relax and move around after having been cooped up for so long. Lewis could hear Vivi’s excited whoops and yells, even from inside the vehicle. He chuckled as he opened up the laptop he had borrowed from Arthur, using the address book saved to the computer to call his mom. The mechanic huddled towards the opposite side of the van to give Lewis at least the illusion of privacy as he spoke to his parents, the cat-ear headphones which Lewis thought were so cute clamped firmly over the other man’s head. The ghost wondered if it would prove to be a moot point though, as the laptop struggled to make the connection needed to dial home. Eventually, the ringing ended, and a pixelated, broken-up picture of his mother appeared on the screen.

“Hey, Ma,” Lewis greeted as she came into view. He could just make out through the badly distorted image the smile that appeared amidst his mother’s stern features.

“Lewis,” she greeted warmly, “We didn’t expect to be hearing from you so soon, let me get your father.”

“Is that Lewis!?” He heard the excited, high-pitched voices of his sisters in the background as they rushed their mother, seeing glimpses of little fingers and hands as they scrabbled for the cell phone Ma Pepper was holding.

“No fair, I want to hold the phone!"

“You’re too little, you couldn’t reach it anyways!”

“Can too!” Belle suddenly came into view as Cayenne and Paprika continued to squabble, squealing in delight at the sight of her adopted brother, his other two sisters ceasing their bickering so that they could crowd around the phone’s screen. In the background, he could hear his mother tut at their antics, and his heart throbbed with the familiarity of it all. Returning to his family after having been missing for years, and returning as a _ghost_ after all that time…Lewis hadn’t been sure what kind of welcome home he would receive. Would his parents be too heartbroken at their son’s death to embrace his new afterlife? Would his sisters be scared of him? Would Paprika even remember him, as young as she was? But when Vivi and Arthur had brought him back, the minute he’d stepped through the door of the Pepper Paradiso, he’d been tackled nearly to the ground by three very excited sisters, not as little as he’d remembered them. His father had cried and his mother had wrapped him in one of her famous hugs, the kind that had made him feel safe and secure ever since he’d showed up on their doorstep and she’d wrapped her strong arms around him for the first time. There had been questions and anger borne of worry, then things had largely gone back to normal. He told his family as much as he felt was necessary about his death, as much as he thought they could handle, and after they couldn’t get anything more out of him, like his past, they’d stopped trying to good-naturedly pry and respected his privacy. Some things they just didn’t need to know. He’d heard secondhand how hard it had been on his family when his friends couldn’t provide any ideas as to his whereabouts after he’d disappeared, even more so when Vivi, his girlfriend whom his family cared about as one of their own, couldn’t remember their son at all. Lewis had decided it was best for them not to know about his exact cause of death, or that Arthur had a role in it. He knew the mechanic still carried a lot of guilt about the incident, and Lewis wasn’t sure how his parents and sisters would respond if they found out that while it wasn’t Arthur’s will, it had been his hand to push Lewis off the cliff.

“Lewis!” His sisters cried joyfully, causing the laptop’s speakers to crackle.

“Lew, I miss you! When are you coming home?”

“Lewis, did you make it to that haunted house you guys were going to yet?”

“Yeah, did you kick that other ghost’s _butt?”_ Lewis chuckled at his sisters’ antics.

“I miss you too, Paprika. All of you. It’ll still be a few days before we get home, we haven’t gotten there quite yet. We ran into a little delay…” Lewis leaned in conspiratorially towards the camera of the laptop.

“It’s _snowing,”_ he said, satisfied by the squeals of excitement he heard from his sisters.

“It’s _snowing!?”_

“You should have a snowball fight!”

“Make a snowman!”

“A snow angel!”

“Throw a snowball at Arthur’s face!” Lewis gave Cayenne a mock glare for her suggestion. He had to wonder why she had it in for Arthur so bad sometimes.

“Lew, I wanna see the snow!”

“Yeah, Lewis! Show us the snow!” Even Cayenne looked interested, the devilish grin she’d been wearing slipping into a more sincere smile.

“Alright,” the ghost said, “I’m not sure how much you’ll be able to see though, the connection’s pretty bad.” He maneuvered towards the front of the van, positioning the computer so it was facing out. He was pleased to hear three distinct gasps of delight from the laptop’s speakers as they looked out at the winter wonderland through the windshield. Vivi and Mystery raced into view, pausing to wave from the other side of the glass.

“Hi Vivi! Hi Mystery!” The girls chorused. Lewis chuckled again, turning the computer back towards the interior of the van as he settled back down. His mother reappeared on the screen with his father in tow, the small man wringing his hands nervously.

“Is everything alright, Lewis? We weren’t expecting your call for another couple of hours,” his father asked.

“Dad, it’s snowing where Lewis is at!” If anything, Pa Pepper looked even more nervous.

“Oh, that’s nice, Belle. You all doing okay up there? I know you kids don’t have a whole lot of experience driving in the snow.”

“Yeah, it’s, uh, coming down pretty good here, so we’ve decided to stop for a little while. Wait until the weather lets up to start driving again.” Lewis thought it would be best to leave out the mishap they’d had earlier, but his attempts at reassurance fell flat as he saw his father’s eyes dart nervously to Ma Pepper.

“Maybe you should all come back home. Lance, he’s in the dining area now, he keeps checking the radar where you’re at and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop anytime soon.” His father’s face brightened as a thought came to mind.

“We could even come to get you! If you’re having any trouble with the roads, that is.” Lewis sighed to himself quietly. One of the many things that hadn’t changed in the Pepper household after he had returned as a ghost was his father’s constant worry over his well-being. If possible, his father fretted even more now that he no longer had a life to lose. Before Lewis could respond though, he watched as his mother laid a heavy hand on her husband’s shoulder, causing him to stumble briefly.

“Lewis is fine, dear,” she reassured her spouse with a calm voice that brokered no argument, “He’s an adult, and he can take care of himself.” It sounded like a conversation they’d had more than once.

“Right,” Pa Pepper responded, “You’re right, of course. You know how I worry though!” The pink-haired man gave a nervous laugh.

"You will call us if anything happens, right? You know we’d drop everything if you guys were in a bind,” Lewis’s father asked beseechingly. The constant loving care of the Peppers, as differently as his mother and father expressed it, reminded Lewis all over again of how much he loved them.

“And deny the Pepper Paradiso of its head pâtissier and capsaicin artist? Wouldn’t dream of it,” Lewis said, “We really are fine though.”

“Well, alright…You be careful out there though, you hear? I’ve got to get back to work now, but I’d like to hear from you when you all hit the road again, okay?”

“I’ll give you guys a call,” Lewis promised, “Bye dad, love you!”

“Love you too, son.” Pa Pepper gave the screen a small wave before exiting from view.

“You will take care of yourself, won’t you Lewis?” His mother asked once his father was gone. It sounded more like a command than a question.

“I will mom,” Lewis responded, “We’re being careful. Arthur’s got the van fixed up so it’s like a tiny fortress against the cold, and Vivi and Mystery seem to actually be enjoying the snow so far.” His mother gave a hum to indicate she had heard him, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Can you put Arthur on?” She asked to Lewis’s surprise.

“Uh, yeah. Is everything okay?”

“As your father mentioned, Mr. Kingsmen has been checking the weather radar in your area ever since you left, and it looks like things are going to get worse before they get better,” his mother said, “It’s not just your father who’s worried. Old fool is just too stubborn to admit it.” Lewis smiled; he had a feeling that Lance wasn’t the only one worried for Arthur either.

“Yeah, I’ll put him on. Hold on a minute.” Lewis picked the laptop up from where he’d sat down on the floor of the van, shuffling to where Arthur was still curled up by the doors. He waved to get his attention, and the mechanic hurriedly took off his headphones, looking up at Lewis curiously.

“Ma wants to talk to you,” Lewis said, setting the mechanic’s laptop in front of him before he could ask for an explanation.

“H-Hi Paprika, Belle, Cayenne,” Lewis shook his head in exasperation as Cayenne stuck her tongue out at Arthur in greeting.

“Hi Mrs. Pepper…”

“Girls, why don’t you say bye to Lewis now and go back to help your father.”

“Aw,” Belle whined, “I wanna keep talking to Lewis!”

“Me too!”

“Me three!”

“He won’t be able to call us again if he runs down the battery on the computer too fast. Now say goodbye, girls. He’ll be back soon.”

“Bye Lewis!”

“Be back soon, okay?”

“We love you!” The three little girls scurried off screen after having said their farewells. With them gone, his mother turned her full scrutiny onto his friend. Lewis could hear it as the mechanic gulped.

“Arthur,” she said sternly, “Have you been sleeping?”

“Um,” Arthur stammered, seemingly taken aback by Ma Pepper’s intense interest in his wellbeing, “Y-Yeah, I took a nap while Lewis was driving, until we—”

“He hasn’t been sleeping a lot, no,” Lewis interrupted before Arthur could say something to worry his parents even more, offering a silent apology as his friend shot him a betrayed look.

“I don’t need you to tell me that, Lewis,” his mother chastised, “I can see the shadows under your eyes from here, Arthur.”

“I’m really okay…” Arthur tried to defend himself. Lewis’s mother merely levelled an eyebrow at him.

“Good,” the woman replied, “Then you will sleep tonight.”

“Y-Yes, ma’am…”

“And you will eat.”

“Yes ma’am…”

“And you will wear more than just that vest if you go outside.”

“Yes ma’am…”

“Good,” she said again, giving a nod in satisfaction. Lewis knew she would be relaying the information to Arthur’s uncle, the older mechanic too emotionally constipated to do the asking himself, though he was doubtlessly fretting over Arthur’s well-being.

“You be careful out there,” Lewis’s mother said, her tone severe, “Lewis, look out for your friends and yourself. Arthur, take care.”

“I will,” Lewis replied earnestly.

“Bye, Mrs. Pepper.”

“Bye, mom!” Lewis said, “We’ll be back soon. Love you!” A warm smile flickered to life once again, momentarily softening her severe expression.

“I love you too, Lewis,” she said. With that, the video call ended. Arthur leaned back with a sigh, finally freed of Ma Pepper’s somewhat frightening concern.

“Your mom is scary,” he told Lewis. The ghost merely chuckled.

“Better do what she says then,” Lewis warned, “She’s even scarier if you don’t listen to her.” The mechanic offered him a small smile Lewis wished he could return, though he relished the warm feeling it gave him. Back at home, Lewis was sure his mother was already relaying a report of Arthur’s condition to the mechanic’s eagerly waiting uncle. As gruff as Lance was on the outside and as much as he tried not to let it show, he cared about Arthur, Lewis, and Vivi a lot, his skittish nephew most of all. Lewis had to wonder if Arthur knew just how much. How much they all cared. Lewis was sure his parents were now personally almost as invested in his friend’s health and safety as Lance was. Suddenly, the doors of the van flew open, causing the mechanic to let out a shriek and Lewis’s spectral hair to flicker as a flurry of snow and cold air swirled into the van. Vivi stood just outside the doors looking satisfied, her hands on her hips, Mystery excitedly prancing through the snow at her heels.

“C’mon, guys!” She said, “You’ve gotta come see this!” Lewis chuckled again, propelling himself out of the van, dumping Arthur’s orange hoodie on the already shivering mechanic as he floated out the doors and into the snow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The promised snowball fight! 
> 
> Also, who's excited about the new Mystery Skulls song, "Now or Never"?
> 
> And who's even more excited for the [teaser](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX6x3G08Ozk&feature=emb_title) Mystery Ben released for the upcoming Mystery Skulls Animated video getting released in October?? My money was on "Paralyzed" being the song they would use, but I'm super excited for the future!

Vivi rushed her two friends out of the van before Arthur could even fully put on his hoodie and knit gloves. Once he’d stumbled outside though, the mechanic had immediately gone to inspect the damage to the side of the vehicle. Meanwhile, Lewis, in his usual formal attire, floated above the ground with an awestruck expression as he surveyed the snowy landscape. Vivi had to suppress a shiver. As someone who normally ran around in a sweater, even in the scorching heat of Texas, she’d layered up with her thickest, coziest sweater, fleece-lined leggings, and a pair of ear muffs clamped firmly over her head before even considering heading up north in wintertime.

“I’m cold just looking at you,” she said to Lewis, breaking him out of his trance. The ghost stared at her for a moment, before manifesting a pink scarf around his neck with a flourish of his arm. Vivi thought she might have even seen the end of the scarf flicker, like the spectral fire that simulated his hair. A dozen questions popped into her head about what else he could conjure and what other hidden abilities he had. She’d have to ask Lewis about it later though. She couldn’t afford to get distracted now, she was a woman on a mission. A mission of fun and friendship! Truth be told, the reports of the haunting they were on route to investigate were iffy at best, but she had jumped at the opportunity to drag her two best friends out for some much-needed bonding time. Progress had been made since that dreadful night in the cave and the hectic encounters that had followed, but things still weren’t back to normal. Now that she finally remembered what normal had been like, it was hard to let things stand the way they were with the old memories so fresh in her mind. Maybe it was a little selfish to try to force a more complete reconciliation when there were still so many issues for Lewis and Arthur to work through, but she could see that they were caught up in their own feelings of self-recrimination and just waiting for the other to make the first move. Between the mechanic’s fear and the ghost’s almost too considerate nature, Vivi knew they would just give each other space until something else pushed the once close friends back together. She was happy to play that part, and the impromptu snow day would suit her purposes just fine. The snow was still coming down steadily, a few inches having already accumulated on the ground. She could still see her footprints in the snow, crisscrossed with pawprints left behind by Mystery, tracing looping paths through the otherwise pristine white. Already the details of the treads of the boots she’d swapped out for her usual Mary Janes were disappearing under the snowfall. It was perfect. It had been a while since she’d seen the snow, not since she’d moved to Tempo in fact, and she’d been missing winter weather. She could tell that Mystery missed the snow as well, judging by the way he’d abandoned his usual decorum to frolic, pounce, and roll in the snow. It almost made her forget that he wasn’t actually a dog.

“Isn’t this great?” She said, turning to her companions. Lewis had a pleased expression on his skull, but Arthur was still fretting over the fresh scratches and dents on the side of the van. The mechanic gave a sigh and stood, kicking at the ground with his high-tops. A little pellet of snow rolled off the toe of his shoe, giving Vivi an idea. She swooped down and grabbed a handful of snow, deftly sculpting it into a sphere between her mittens. Arthur was still staring morosely down at his feet when she lobbed the snowball at the bright yellow star on his hoodie. _Bap!_ Bullseye.

“H-Hey!” The mechanic sputtered, his tone more amused than annoyed as he brushed off the powder still clinging to his hoodie. Vivi giggled and scooped up another lump of snow, just as a snowball whizzed over the top of her head.

“Oh, now you’re gonna get it!” She said, mock dangerously. She let her freshly made snowball fly in Arthur’s direction, the mechanic just barely ducking out of the way in time. She and Arthur traded blows, the evidence of their battle the snow still clinging to their clothes from where they’d been struck. Vivi had just cornered Arthur against the side of the van with an armful of snowballs and a devilish gleam in her eyes, when there was a sudden _whap_ as something struck her square in the back. She whirled around to see Lewis, floating a few inches above the snow with an innocent expression on his face. Without saying a word, he pointed a finger to where Mystery sat beside him.

“Really?” the kitsune scoffed, “You’re going to blame _that_ on the dog?” Vivi let one of the snowballs she had in her arms loose, hurling it in Lewis’s direction. The snowball sailed through the ghost’s chest as he turned intangible.

“Hey, no fair!” Vivi cried, “That’s cheating!” Another snowball was launched from beside her, this one passing through Lewis’s stomach.

“C’mon Arthur,” Vivi said, “There’s no way he can fend off the both of us. We shall not be deterred!” Vivi and Arthur continued their attempts to hit Lewis with a snowball, but every single one passed through his incorporeal form. Once or twice, one of Vivi’s snowballs would accidentally strike Arthur instead, having thrown them without realizing he was on the other side of the ghost.

“Give up yet?” The ghost asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Never!” Vivi cried, before ducking behind the van under an assail of snowballs from the specter. She regrouped with Arthur, the mechanic likewise taking cover from Lewis’s snowy assault.

“We need a plan, Artie,” Vivi said breathlessly. Arthur looked thoughtful for a moment before responding.

“Well, he’s not intangible all the time. He’s gotta re-solidify when he actually makes a snowball.”

“Sounds like this calls for a sneak attack.”

“A sneak attack? Then that means…”

“We’re going to need a distraction,” Vivi said, grinning at the mechanic.

“I was afraid you were going to say that,” Arthur sighed.

“So what are you guys talking about?” Lewis asked from above. Arthur and Vivi’s heads snapped up to where Lewis floated overtop the van, his skull propped up on one hand and another snowball casually tossed up and down in the other.

“Retreat!” Vivi shouted, scrambling out of the line of fire as Arthur darted in the opposite direction. Lewis looked between the two, weighing his options, before deciding to target Arthur. Vivi watched as the snowball hit its mark and Arthur stumbled to the ground.

“Augh, I’m hit!” Arthur cried out dramatically, as Lewis floated over to ensure he’d not done the mechanic any true harm.

“Everything…going dark,” Arthur said, his eyes sliding shut as he reached feebly towards the sky, “Tell Gala-ham…I love him!” Arthur collapsed fully into the snow with a final dramatic gasp, Lewis kneeling over him to inspect the mechanic. The fallen man cracked open one eye as Lewis began a slow clap.

“Brilliant performance. I give it a ten out of ten,” the ghost said, his voice rumbling deep in his chest. Arthur laughed breathlessly, beginning to slide his arms and legs back and forth across the snow.

“What are you doing?” Lewis asked.

“Making a snow angel,” Arthur replied blithely, before he paused and frowned, “Do you…not know what a snow angel is?” Lewis never got a chance to reply though, as Vivi finally finished her stealthy approach, and dumped a large pile of snow into the open collar of his shirt. There was a pause as everyone held their breath, waiting to see Lewis’s response. The ghost merely turned his head and gave Vivi a look.

“Really?” Lewis said.

“Aw, man…I thought for sure that would get a reaction,” Vivi griped. Arthur sat up from where he had sprawled out in the snow. There was a distinct mischief in his look, something about the small smile on his face and his otherwise carefully neutral expression.

“M-Maybe you just need to try something…colder?” Arthur suggested as he stood beside Vivi. She screeched at the sudden freezing sensation on the back of her neck, pulling away from the mechanic quickly. He waved the ungloved hand of his metal prosthesis at her, grinning. And so it began again, with Vivi hurling snowballs after the fleeing mechanic, until she finally managed to dump a load of snow into the hood of his jacket and pull it down over his head.

“Alright,” Arthur laughed as he brushed the snow from his hair, “I yield, I yield!”

“I am victorious!” Vivi cried, raising both her fists in the air as she backed towards the van to inspect her work. There was a unexpected _fwoomp_ as a large pile of snow was deposited directly on top of her, burying her underneath it. Working herself free, Vivi gasped as she broke the surface, looking up to see Mystery in his kitsune form, shaking the snow from the six tails he’d just used to push all the snow off the top of the van and onto Vivi’s head. Even though Arthur was clutching at his arm warily at the sight of the kitsune, he still laughed, Lewis accompanying him with his deep chuckle. Vivi couldn’t help but join as well, and even Mystery contributed to the merriment by wagging his tail as he shrank back down to his dog form. The four of them spent a couple hours in the snow altogether, having snowball fights and teaching Lewis how to make snow angels. The ghost had just gotten the hang of it when Mystery put a stop to their fun.

“Alright, I think it’s time we go inside,” the dog said, “Arthur is starting to look as blue as _you_ , Vivi.” The mechanic was indeed shivering slightly, rubbing at the port where his metal arm connected with his flesh. _That can’t be comfortable in the cold,_ Vivi thought, frowning and hoping he hadn’t been toughing it out to try and appease his friends. It had gotten darker outside as well, and the remaining light was fading fast.

“Okay,” Vivi said, ushering the others inside, “I’ll get the electric kettle going. I’ve got some packets of hot cocoa to help warm us up!” Vivi took one last look at the snowy landscape before joining the rest of the Mystery Skulls piled in the back of the van, marveling at how fast the snow had come down. The tracks she and Mystery had left when they’d first exited the car had long since been buried, now nowhere to be seen. Closing the rear doors shut behind her, Vivi immediately reached for the electric kettle, starting some water boiling as she emptied packets of instant cocoa into three waiting mugs.

“So what’s the plan, oh fearless leader?” Lewis asked from beside her, “We were just planning on parking until the snow let up some, but it’s still coming down hard and it’ll be night soon.”

“The plan still stands, we’ll just be waiting the weather out a little longer than we thought,” she said, “I’m sure by tomorrow we’ll be able to hit the road again. In the meantime, just think of it as camping. Van camping. _Vanping.”_

“I’ve got an electric heater here somewhere,” Arthur said, shuffling off to look for the device in question, “It shouldn’t be too cold with that thing running.”

“Lewis, you’re on blanket fort duty then while I finish the cocoa.” The ghost nodded his head before cobbling a pile of blankets and pillows together in the middle of the van as Vivi poured the boiling water into the mugs. She took a sip of her cocoa, chunks of the powdered mix still not fully dissolved. It was hot and watery and _wonderful._ She quickly distributed the other mugs to her friends as they all settled into the blanket pile on the ground.

“Here you are, Lewis,” Vivi said, passing the ghost a mug with an alpaca on it, “I know you can’t drink it really, but, well…I dunno, was that insensitive of me?”

“Not at all,” Lewis said earnestly, “Thank you, Vivi. It’s nice to be included.” Lewis held her gaze for an extended moment, and she was almost painfully reminded of what they’d been before he’d died. They had both agreed that it would be best to put their relationship on hold until things settled down for what their new lives were like—and in someone’s case, _afterlife—_ but with her memories recently returned and still so close to the surface, it was hard not to miss what they’d had what seemed like only yesterday.

“Where’s my hot cocoa?” Mystery said, breaking Vivi from the spell she’d fallen under.

“Chocolate’s bad for dogs,” she tutted, quickly recovering from having stared at Lewis for probably an awkward amount of time.

“What, you didn’t think I might like to be included?”

“Do you want some cocoa?” Vivi asked flatly.

“No, I’m fine, thank you,” the dog said with a cheeky grin.

“You mutt!” Vivi teased, ruffling the fur on Mystery’s head until it was sticking up every which way. The dog couldn’t help the vigorous wagging of his tail in response. Eventually, the four members of the Mystery Skulls settled down in the back of the van to prepare for what Vivi had dubbed “vanping”. Mystery curled up at her knee, already lightly dozing by the way his paws twitched in his sleep. Vivi hoped he was dreaming of something pleasant, rather than a certain regenerating plant person with big-ass garden shears and an even bigger grudge. Lewis was huddled next to her, his knees drawn up to his chest as the giant curled up in the tiny space, the mug of hot cocoa slowly cooling in his hands. Vivi was cuddled in a fluffy blanket, well on her way to joining Mystery in falling asleep, and Arthur…Arthur seemed almost to be trying to put as much distance between him and the others as the cramped space the back of the van provided would allow. She hoped that her awkward staring contest with Lewis hadn’t put him off; that was a whole lot of baggage they’d had yet to unpack. He was absently rubbing at the place where his prosthetic limb connected to his arm though, and Vivi recalled the freezing touch of metal against the bare skin of her neck. She couldn’t imagine that it would be much more comfortable for the man actually attached to the arm either.

“You okay, Artie?” Vivi asked, snapping the mechanic out of his funk.

“What? O-Oh, yeah…just a little achy, I guess,” he replied, giving her what she figured was supposed to be a reassuring smile that did nothing of the sort. The girl in blue gave a heavy sigh, before spreading her arms wide, hands still clutching onto the blanket she’d wrapped herself in. She briefly thought of a bat unfurling its wings and valiantly fought off a giggle.

“Join me, Arthur,” she said, her voice low and serious for dramatic effect. Mystery twitched an ear at her side. The mechanic looked at the invitation wistfully before his eyes flickered uncertainly to Lewis. She frowned internally at that, remembering the times before where Arthur hadn’t hesitated to be included. Thankfully, Lewis put the mechanic’s doubts to rest.

“She’s not going to stop until you come over here,” the ghost said, jerking his skull in their direction to bid the other man to join them. Arthur got up, tripping over the other blankets, settling down next to Vivi with a sheepish grin that gave him a dopey and, in Vivi’s humble opinion, adorable expression on his face. She quickly bundled them up in the fluffy blanket together, hugging Arthur tight. She heard Lewis chuckle and the tell-tale beat of Mystery’s tail hitting the floor of the van as it wagged.

“Get over here, ya’ big lug,” Vivi mumbled sleepily, addressing the ghost. Lewis obliged, floating closer to join where the other three had cuddled up. They spent the rest of the night comfortably in each other’s presences, reliving the highlights of their earlier snowball fight. One by one, they drifted off to sleep, sprawled over top of each other in the back of the van. Vivi was the first to fall asleep, as usual, her enthusiasm requiring more energy than the others in order to recharge. As she drifted off, she was reminded again of how happy she was to have her best friends here with her. She’d almost entirely forgotten about the paranormal adventures that awaited them at the end of their journey as she fell into a deep, content sleep, surrounded by friends as the snow continued to fall outside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I use this chapter as an excuse to share my headcanons about what our little gang does around the holidays? Absolutely. A last bit of fluff before the storm!
> 
> Next chapter might be a bit late, I’m only halfway through it so far and I just adopted a cat, but I'll do my best to get it up next Saturday!

Mystery woke slowly the next morning to the sounds of hushed conversation, wriggling out from under Vivi’s arm as the heaviest sleeper of the group continued to snore away. He stretched out his hind legs, giving himself a good shake before blearily regarding the two young men deep in conversation. It would figure that the ghost, who technically didn’t need sleep, and the insomniac, who pretended that he didn’t need sleep, would be the first two up. The disguised kitsune mused momentarily over who had been the first to rise before discarding the train of thought as largely pointless at this ungodly hour of the morning. Instead, he trotted over to the rear doors of the van and, having long ago discarded all pretense of being a semi-normal dog, gripped the handle in his teeth and opened the door to the outside world.

“Mystery, wait—” The warning came too late however, and a sudden gust of wind wrenched the door out of his grip, tumbling him headfirst into a snowdrift as he lost his balance. The kitsune struggled for a moment to right himself, only to find he was buried almost up to his haunches in the snow. It would quickly be approaching Vivi’s knees, a height that Mystery was quite familiar with, having spent most of the human’s lifespan at the same level. The cold didn’t bother him much, with his thick fur coat providing protection from the freezing temperatures, but the prospect of having to hop through the snow was simply embarrassing. He had been just about to shift to his natural state when a large hand grasped him by his scruff and hoisted him back into the van, pulling the door shut behind him. Back on solid ground, Mystery quickly shook the loose snow from his pelt. He could see Arthur shivering in the corner, the icy blast of air he’d unintentionally let inside severe enough to even wake Vivi from her slumber. The girl mumbled sleepily and rubbed at her eyes.

“Good morning,” the kitsune deadpanned. Vivi glared at him, though the expression lost some of its heat by the way she was squinting as her eyes adjusted to daylight.

“Arthur and I were just talking about the situation outside,” Lewis said.

“The situation?” Vivi mumbled, putting forth a valiant effort to stay awake.

“The snow hasn’t let up at all,” the ghost said, “In fact, the van’s almost buried up to its wheel wells.”

“According to the radar, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be stopping anytime soon either,” the mechanic explained, gesturing to his laptop screen as he turned it to face the others. There was a large patch of icy blue stationary in the middle of the screen.

“Unless the satellite image froze again…I think the weather is starting to mess with the van’s internet connection,” Arthur muttered.

“So we’re snowed in?” Mystery surmised. Lewis and Arthur shared a look before nodding their heads.

“We were discussing possible solutions before you guys got up. With the snow so deep, the van won’t budge.”

“I could make the van ‘go ghost’ to see if we can get past the snow that way, but, well…” Lewis spared a glance to the mechanic who’d paled at the reminder of the monstrous purple semi-truck.

“It’s not the best idea,” the ghost concluded, “And the nearest town is still miles away, too far to walk,”

“Why don’t we just stay here?” Vivi suggested, already settling back into the blankets on the floor.

“We can’t stay here forever,” Arthur frowned.

“Not for forever, just until we figure out a solution we can all agree on or until we become unstuck. We’ve got plenty of supplies,” Vivi yawned. Mystery thought it must be exhausting being so optimistic and loved the young woman all the more for it.

“I’m not sure hot cocoa counts as ‘supplies’,” Arthur said, “but we do have enough food for at least a couple more days.”

“What about your ghost hunt though? You were so excited to go,” Lewis said.

“I’m excited to spend time with _you dorks,”_ Vivi snorted, “Besides, yesterday was fun. We can teach you how to make a snowman now that you’ve mastered snow angels.” The specter huffed a fond-sounding laugh.

“I suppose that settles it then,” he said, Arthur nodding in agreement. The three turned to look at Mystery for his acquiescence.

“I have missed the snow,” the dog conceded.

“Good,” Vivi mumbled sleepily, her eyes already drifting shut again, “We’ll try to head out later today if the snow melts some. Otherwise, we stay until tomorrow. Just think of it…as a…snow day…” And the blue-haired girl was asleep once more, snoring away as if she’d never been disturbed.

“I better let my parents know about the delay. As if my dad wasn’t already worried enough …” Lewis sighed, shaking his head, “Would it be okay if I borrowed your laptop again, Arthur?”

“Sure, for as much good as it will do you with this crappy internet connection,” the mechanic shrugged, “The radar image either keeps freezing up or there’s a particularly stubborn snow cloud that’s decided to park itself right over top of us. I’ll check to see if I can get a better signal after another cup of coffee.” Lewis narrowed his eyes at his friend.

“What? The instant stuff isn’t that bad,” Arthur joked weakly.

“Yes it is,” Lewis replied, “And it’s not so much the quality of it that I’m worried about but rather the quantity of _how much you drink.”_

“Oh, come on! This will just be my—”

“Fourth cup,” Lewis interrupted, giving the mechanic a withering look, “I’ve been counting.” Arthur squawked in indignation, and Mystery barked out a brief laugh before turning back to the rear doors, leaving the two young men to squabble over what an acceptable caffeine intake should be for the jittery mechanic.

“Uh, Mystery? Looking to do a repeat performance from earlier?” Lewis said.

“I have to go outside,” the kitsune replied.

“W-Why, is there some-something out there?” Arthur asked in alarm.

“No, I just have to…” Mystery put his ears back in embarrassment, _“Go.”_ There was a moment of silence in the van before the ghost and the mechanic broke into a fit of laughter. Vivi mumbled in her sleep and turned to her other side.

“Oh man,” Arthur said, wiping at his eyes, “Sometimes I forget you’re still kind of a dog.”

“Here, let me get the door for you,” Lewis offered. The kitsune grumbled in annoyance at the two young men’s antics. It appeared they weren’t just children in Mystery’s eyes after all. With Lewis propping the door open, the dog leapt from the van gracefully, landing in the snow in his kitsune-form so as to not get stuck again, his six tails lashing about in the wind. To his dismay, he saw that the indentation from where he’d landed minutes earlier had already begun to fill in, quickly losing its definition as the snow continued to pile on the ground. He would be very surprised if the Mystery Skulls managed to leave their temporary resting spot today.

“Just let us know when you’re ready to come inside, okay?” Lewis said. Mystery gave him a curt nod before trotting away through the snow to find some privacy, hearing the door of the van click shut behind him as he made for the tree line in the distance.

The kitsune truly had missed the snow, and it had been decades since he’d had a proper winter that reminded him of home. He admired the way his breath fogged around his snout in short bursts, thinking of centuries worth of winters spent in Japan. He wondered if he was growing old and senile, reminiscing the way he was, or if it was just his softer side showing. _Oh, how the other yōkai would laugh if they could see you now,_ Mystery mused, passing between barren trees with snow-laden branches. A lot had changed since he’d first met Vivi’s ancestor and been subsequently defeated by her. He was no longer the feared and respected fox spirit he once was. But it was a change for the better, if for the company alone, the three young humans he’d come to think of as his pups. Mystery knew he would go to great lengths to protect them, having failed to do so before. The world was a dangerous place, something Mystery, as one of the dangerous things in it, was well aware of. He had thought that by playing the role of the unassuming mascot he’d been protecting them, but it had nearly cost him everything. The kitsune had chosen to keep silent when he knew they were walking into danger. He thought he’d had everything under control, that if it became absolutely necessary to intervene, he would be fast enough.

He was wrong.

Mystery had wondered if the cave would be the end of his little pack. By some miracle, fate had brought them back together though and allowed for reconciliation, which was more than he could have hoped for. Now, he would give his six tails just to keep his pups safe. As far away as he was, the kitsune could still sense them clearly, would be able to sniff out their souls from miles away if he had to. The burning, electric purple scent of Lewis, so different now from his once muted yet strong mulberry color. The familiar blue that was comfort, love, home, _Vivi,_ the ephemeral sparks of her magic potential flickering through the blue like frost on a window pane. Arthur’s sunshiny yellow pulsing like a beacon. Even as the mechanic had healed in body and mind after being possessed, the damage done would leave Arthur vulnerable for the rest of his life, unaware that his soul was broadcasting an enticing signal to the supernatural.

Mystery thought back to the day before uneasily. Arthur had been so sure he’d seen…something in the road. Mystery had checked then to see if there was anything out there that could pose a threat to his pups and had come up empty, but perhaps the jumpy mechanic’s worried nature was beginning to rub off on him. Over-confidence had cost him dearly in the past, and it was a lesson the kitsune had taken to heart. Mystery pushed the boundaries of his senses to their limits, concentrating hard until he was confident he had encompassed a wide enough radius around their present location for his extrasensory search. Like last time though, he came up empty. There was the purple, yellow, and blue, his own strong red scent, but not another living thing for miles, and no supernatural entity he could detect waiting in the shadows. Besides the colors he was so familiar with, everything was as tasteless, scentless, and colorless as the snow Mystery waded through. Satisfied with his thorough search, the kitsune shook himself free of his troubled thoughts along with the fine layer of snow that had gathered on his pelt. He took care of his business before heading back towards the van and the blended colors of the souls he loved so well. _They’re safe this time,_ he told himself, even as the feeling of being watched prickled at his skin and caused the fur along his back to stand on end.

* * *

As Mystery had predicted, the Mystery Skulls were not to depart that day, everyone preparing to spend another night on the floor of the van instead. The snow continued to fall, adding further inches to the foot or so already on the ground. The wind had picked up as well, now violently swirling outside. As the snowstorm increased in intensity, so too did Mystery’s feelings of unease. He couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched despite knowing that they were the only ones out here. The dog eyed the door to the van warily, and though nothing had passed beyond the rear windows except for more falling snow, Mystery still couldn’t force himself to relax. Had he any less self-control, he might have even let out a whine.

An unexpected, hesitant touch to the back of his head startled the dog badly, causing him to leap to his feet. The hand quickly withdrew as Mystery whipped around to look at the source of the touch, only to see Arthur staring back, eyes wide with panic. The kitsune couldn’t fault the young man for being afraid of him, particularly when Mystery had been the source of the mechanic’s impromptu amputation, but it still _hurt_ whenever Arthur jumped at his presence or eyed him warily. This had all been so much easier before he’d come clean about the truth of his existence, when he could just ignore what he’d done, what he was. The kitsune wondered if he had kept his secrets to protect himself from their fear and rejection as much as he’d done so to protect the Mystery Skulls themselves. Arthur still raised his hand though and, extending it slowly, bridged the gap between them. The mechanic patted his head and Mystery did his best to ignore the tremors he felt running through the young man’s hand as he leaned into the touch.

“Y-You okay, pal?” Arthur asked in a quiet voice, “You seem kind of tense.”

“Just eager to get going again,” the fox spirit reassured as the mechanic continued to pet him, “Tired of being cooped up in the back of the van for so long.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but Mystery didn’t want to reveal the true cause of his unease, certain it would further unnerve Arthur. Vivi and Lewis were in the opposite corner of the van, chatting amicably as Vivi composed an email to send off to her parents while they visited her Granny Yukino in Japan. The ghost and the girl were blissfully ignorant of the troubled conversation he and Arthur were having. Vivi’s enthusiasm for their so-called “snow day” had yet to wane, and Lewis was more than happy to just go along for the ride. Mystery would prefer to keep it that way rather than worrying his pups any more than he already had. Arthur continued to stroke his fur as Vivi concluded her email and got up to pass the laptop back to the mechanic. He paused to give a final scratch behind Mystery’s ears, just the way the dog liked, before receiving his laptop with both hands. Mystery would have loved for the petting to continue, childish comfort as it may have been, it had helped settle him significantly. There was no one out there, no danger to his family. Just the wicked winds of winter howling outside. Accepting that, he contented himself to just lay down and listen as his humans talked.

“Any word on how your Granny is doing?” Arthur asked.

“She’s still recovering from her fall, but she’s tough as nails,” Vivi replied proudly, “Mom and dad are just there to make sure she doesn’t overdo it on her own. She has a hard time just taking it easy.”

“Still, I’m sorry about the timing, it’s not fun being on your own for the holidays.”

“It’s alright, I’ve got you guys to keep me company!” Vivi said, unwaveringly cheerful, “Besides, me and Mystery are _this_ close to cracking the secret to my mom’s fried chicken recipe. It has to be in the dredging. I think we’ll have it perfected just in time for dinner on Christmas Eve! It won’t be so different from any other year that way, I just won’t have to fight my dad for the last drumstick.”

“I’m looking forwards to being able to cook Christmas dinner for my family again,” Lewis said, “It’s one of the few days the restaurant is closed, so it’s nice to see mom and dad relax and put their feet up for once. Plus, I make a mean lasagna.”

“Heh, I think Uncle Lance gave up on cooking for Christmas after that year he tried to do one of those beer can turkey recipes. Hell, the fire chief might’ve expressly forbidden it. I think we’re doing Chinese takeout again this year.”

“At least orange chicken is something _normal_ to eat…” Vivi teased.

“Hey, don’t bring Surf’s Up Pizza into this!”

“It’s so nice to be able to see the restaurant decorated with poinsettias again,” Lewis said distractedly. He had a wistful expression on his skull, seemingly unaware that he’d even spoken aloud until he noticed Vivi and Arthur staring at him intently, their playful argument abandoned.

“Mom always decorates the restaurant with poinsettias around Christmas. I…I never thought I’d get to see it like that again,” Lewis confessed. Vivi smiled at the ghost warmly, giving his arm a little squeeze before she turned her attention to their other friend.

“What about you, Artie? Lance do much decorating at home?” She asked.

“I don’t think Uncle Lance is real big on Christmas. The only Christmas movie he’ll even watch is _Die Hard_. I think he only decorates ‘cause he knows I like it,” Arthur began, “Growing up with my dad though…we were on the road pretty often and spent a lot of nights in the car, even on Christmas. Not a whole lot of room for a tree in there, but he’d always make sure to get one of those little tree-shaped air fresheners to hang from the rearview mirror. We’d set our presents up on the dashboard under it.”

“You don’t talk about him a whole lot,” Lewis said.

“Y-Yeah, I try not to think about it too much,” Arthur replied, making an attempt at a casual shrug, “But…ever since it started snowing, it’s been hard _not_ to think about it. I haven’t seen snow since I came to live with Uncle Lance, so I guess it’s just bringing up old memories.” The mechanic rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly, seemingly caught off-guard by his own admission. Mystery nosed tentatively at Arthur’s hand and was rewarded with a few more pats to the head and a small smile from the young man. Over the tops of his glasses, the kitsune could see Vivi and Lewis exchange concerned glances.

“Well, I don’t have _Die Hard_ with me, but how about a movie?” Vivi suggested, eager to offer a distraction to try and lift their spirits. Without waiting for a response, she pulled the bag she’d packed for the trip into her lap, digging through it fervently.

“Duet’s not real big on commercial, non-secular holidays. So far, The Tome Tomb has remained unspoiled by those tacky Christmas stations you hear in most stores this time of year. I’m actually not sick of Christmas yet,” Vivi said as she rummaged, “Aha! Here it is, the best Christmas movie of all time!” She displayed the DVD case to the others with a flourish. Mystery perked up as he saw the familiar title.

_“A Nightmare Before Christmas?”_ Arthur said, his smile now returning in earnest, “That would be your favorite.”

“I watch it every year with Mystery! Things have been so hectic lately, I haven’t had a chance yet though. What do you guys think?”

“So long as I don’t have to listen to ‘Feliz Navidad’ for the rest of our road trip, I’m happy,” Lewis replied.

“We should still have enough charge left for a movie,” Arthur said, handing his laptop back to Vivi. It was all the encouragement she needed, and with a whoop of excitement, the young woman quickly popped open the CD drive and inserted the disc. They all crowded in front of the small screen, glum mood from moments earlier all but forgotten. Vivi wasted no time in piling the blankets on top of her friends, making sure they were all sufficiently cozy before finally pressing play. Mystery curled up on Vivi’s lap as the movie began, his chin resting on Arthur’s knee as the mechanic resumed stroking his fur. The four of them chattered happily about plans for the holidays and the upcoming year, joking and laughing as the DVD played. Eventually they lapsed into a comfortable silence and began to doze before the movie even finished. As usual, Vivi was the first to nod off, though she was quickly followed by Arthur to Mystery’s surprise. Lewis, seeing them fast asleep, bade the kitsune a quiet good night as the black coffin he rested in materialized in the back of the van, disappearing just as quickly once its occupant was inside. With all of his pups resting for the night, Mystery surveyed the warm scene he’d found himself a part of. Arthur finally looked relaxed, a bit of drool dotting the corner of his mouth, and Vivi had cocooned herself entirely in blankets, except for an arm that had been flung around the mechanic’s waist in her sleep. Mystery chuckled fondly before he spared a final glance out the window, still seeing nothing but snowflakes flicker past the glass. Just as the credits began to roll, he finally curled up in the blankets at Vivi’s side and joined the others in sleep.

Outside, something colorless as snow stood poised to strike.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, so _that's_ where I put the plot...
> 
> Sorry this chapter is later than I usually post, but my new cat is settling in well! It's probably going to take me longer to put chapters up from here on out though because I'm not so much editing as I am completely rewriting them at this point ^^;
> 
> If it takes me more than two weeks to put something out, I'll put a little hiatus notice on the fic so you know it's not been forgotten about!

In the dead of the night, when the world was quiet and all sound was swallowed by the ever-deepening snowdrifts, a lone figure moved through the dark. She glided over the top of the snow, her bare feet not disturbing a single snowflake as she drew closer to the unsuspecting occupants of the van. It was rare for anyone to come this way, least of all in winter. The long and lonely stretch of road she haunted was always avoided by the locals, even if the reason why only lived on in urban legends. Tales of sudden blizzards and passersby getting lost in the snow were enough to keep them at bay. The van’s passengers were the first visitors she’d had in a while. She had quickly picked up on their presence in the vastly empty landscape and had gone to investigate, so eager she’d almost given herself away. Even though she was sure she’d been spotted, the interlopers seemed to take no heed of her presence, and had continued on their journey as far as they could. She had observed them from a distance, keeping out of sight as they frolicked and played without a care in the world.

She _despised_ them for it.

They were an odd little group, much stranger than anything she had seen pass through these parts before. There was a dog that was far more than what it seemed, and she had scarcely believed her eyes even after seeing its monstrous transformation. She didn’t know what the creature was, but she instinctively knew it was dangerous and made note to avoid it. The ghost that travelled with them surprised her even more. She had never encountered anyone like herself before, but she didn’t think it was common for the dead to keep the living company. She didn’t think it was fair either. He got to carry on as if he were still breathing, and she was stuck in this barren, frozen wasteland, reliant on the too few and far between visitors. The wind whipped more violently around her in response, pulling at her long white hair and nightgown as she refocused on her task.

The two that she was most interested in were the mortals. The power she sensed in the blue-haired woman intrigued her, but the young man was simply _irresistible_. In secret, she had exerted her influence over them, tugged here and there, getting a feel for what memories might come loose. While the monster was immune and the ghost resistant to her sway, she was certain the two humans wouldn’t be able to fight back. It appeared someone had already messed with the poor girl’s head, and many memories, old and new, were on the forefront of the young woman’s mind. The boy’s memories surfaced just as readily, almost eagerly responding to her meddling, as if she were travelling along a well-worn path. This was almost going to be too easy. It had been a long, long time since anyone had come her way, and she wasn’t about to ignore such a perfect opportunity when it presented itself.

If her cold heart had still beat in her chest, it would have been pounding in excitement as she continued to drift silently over the snow, circling the van. She could feel a protective barrier all around the vehicle, sure to have prevented her from breaching the exterior had she not needed permission to enter in the first place. She peered in through the window, the glass frosting at her touch. The occupants within, unaware of what was waiting for them outside, peacefully slumbered. Now, she just had to lure them out. She scratched at the door with icy fingers, her nails scraping against the exterior of the van, and patiently waited. A smile stretched across her lips, turned blue from the cold years ago, as she heard someone begin to stir. She would have taken a special delight in tearing this close knit group apart, even if she hadn’t been hungry.

And she was so very hungry.

* * *

Arthur squinted at the brightly glowing screen of his cell phone, hoping that if he stared at it long enough, he might be able to turn back the time. After a couple minutes of glaring proved fruitless however, he conceded that it was still midnight, and he wasn’t falling asleep again anytime soon. He wondered if something had woken him up this time or if his body had simply decided that two hours of sleep was enough for one night. Letting out a defeated sigh, he tossed his phone to the side. He knew he would drive himself crazy checking the time for every minute he couldn’t fall asleep. Some nights, being unable to sleep made Arthur frustrated to the point that he wanted to cry. He hated the countdown to morning, recalculating how much sleep he would get if he fell asleep _right now_ every time he glanced at the clock, the number dwindling away to nothing as the sun began to rise. Just as bad were the nights where he did manage to fall asleep, only to wake a couple hours later somehow feeling even more tired than before. Like now, when his mind was hopelessly hazy and the exhaustion ran bone deep. He’d only managed a few meager hours of rest over the past couple of days. Last year, he had purposefully shunned sleep in order to put more hours into the manhunt for his missing best friend. Even then, the nights where he had been forced to take a break by Lance or Vivi were plagued with nightmares and anxieties, vague feelings of guilt he couldn’t quite place. Although Lewis had since been found and forgiveness granted, Arthur’s sleeplessness was almost habitual at this point, even without the aid of lingering fears and a guilty conscience.

His eyes roamed the dimly lit interior of the van, the only source of illumination the playback menu for _A Nightmare Before Christmas_ still running on his open laptop screen. He toed the lid of the computer shut with one of his Chucks, plunging the van into darkness and cutting off the orchestral melody that had been softly playing in the background. The humming of the space heater and Vivi’s light snoring filled the void, though Arthur could still pick out the sound of the snowstorm raging outside. He realized then that the heavy feeling of his body wasn’t just fatigue, but that Vivi had draped an arm and leg over top of him as she slept, somehow undisturbed by his fidgeting. His cheeks heated at her close proximity, but he relaxed somewhat when a quick glance around the back of the van showed that no one else had seen them. He couldn’t imagine Lewis would be too happy to see his ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend cozied up together. Vivi was notoriously cuddly and had a tendency to cling to whoever was closest in her sleep, and tonight, that happened to be Arthur. He had been trying to avoid this exact situation, afraid of what the others might think. They all had accepted Vivi’s tendency to latch onto others in her sleep long ago, but it felt different, wrong even, since Lewis and Vivi started dating, especially after the cave. He’d done his best to keep his distance even as he craved the physical affection. He loved both his friends very much, and Arthur was ashamed to admit that he had been a bit jealous when they’d started dating. The last thing he wanted was for Lewis to believe that Arthur himself had wanted to push him off the cliff because of it. Mystery had explained that the mechanic’s negative feelings had made him more susceptible to the influence of whatever that thing was back in the cave, but had assured them all that Arthur’s actions were outside of his control. The mechanic couldn’t let go of his guilt over the role he’d played in his friend’s untimely demise though, wondering just how innocent he really was. It made him doubt Lewis’s offered forgiveness, wondering when it would be taken back, if something like this could wreck their tenuously rebuilt friendship.

 _Way to go, idiot. That kind of thinking is sure to help you get back to sleep,_ Arthur chastised himself. He sighed deeply, struggling through his grogginess to push away the unhappy thoughts clouding his mind. Instead, the mechanic did his best to relax into Vivi’s embrace, too tired to move, trying to appreciate the closeness while he could. It wouldn’t be such a bad way to spend the night, Arthur decided. He didn’t always mind not being able to sleep. Sometimes, when he had something to do or someone to talk to, anything to take his mind off his insomnia or whatever was keeping him awake, it could almost be pleasant. He’d long ago been banned from working on personal projects at night though, after the time Lance had caught him holding a blowtorch the wrong way at four in the morning, with Vivi happy to enforce the restriction. However, Lewis seemed to stick around at night more often than not lately. Arthur knew for a fact that it was lonely to be awake when everyone else was sleeping, but still had been surprised when the ghost had started to keep him company in the early hours of the morning. Months ago, when the glares directed at the mechanic had lessened into sparing glances and they found they could once again occupy the same room at the same time, Lewis had finally approached him.

Their first conversation was awkward and stilted, and Arthur was sure he’d said something to make the specter hate him even more. But Lewis was there again the next night, and the next, and continued to stay behind and visit night after night. Speaking together got easier, and they swapped stories of what they would do to keep themselves busy at night when the Mystery Skulls weren’t together. Lewis frequently found himself baking, occasionally doing extra prep work at the restaurant. Arthur found himself staying up using his laptop to research the latest case or cryptid that Vivi wanted to check out. They used each other as sounding boards for new recipes and robotic designs. It was almost like the way things used to be. By unspoken agreement, they didn’t talk about the cave, though Arthur had a feeling that Lewis was just patiently waiting for him to be ready. Even ghosts needed to occasionally rest and recharge though, and Lewis was presently nowhere to be found. While the mechanic took the opportunity to enjoy the comfort of one of his closest friends, he was disappointed the other was absent. Left alone to his thoughts, Arthur alternated between staring at the roof of the van and the backs of his eyelids. He could practically feel time dragging by as he mentally drafted plans to fix the latest dent in the van. Relief swept over him as his eyelids finally began to droop shut of their own accord, when he was suddenly jolted awake by a scratching at the back door to the van.

“Mystery…?” Arthur mumbled softly. The only reply he received was more scrabbling from outside, and he wondered if that had been what had woken him up in the first place. Arthur gave a cursory glance around the back of the van, still not seeing anyone but Vivi nestled beside the massive pile of blankets she’d accumulated. He worried that the dog had locked himself out of the van after stepping outside. Mystery may have been a powerful kitsune, but could still be thwarted by devices that required opposable thumbs to use. Arthur had told him before not to paw at the door though, that it would scratch the paint, and Mystery was usually more vocal about his demands to be let back inside. Something must be wrong, but in his sleep deprived state, the mechanic didn’t have the energy to think it over. Instead, he carefully extracted himself from the haphazard limbs Vivi had tossed over him in their sleep, edging towards the rear doors of the van to peer through the window outside. It was dark, and Arthur could barely make anything out beyond the heavy snowfall that was coming down like static on a television screen. He stepped out of the van, gently closing the door behind him, unable to hear that it didn’t click shut over the moaning winds. He quickly zipped up his vest against the chill and briefly thought about grabbing his hoodie, before discarding the idea, not wanting to let any more heat escape the van than what was absolutely necessary. He was sure this wouldn’t take long anyways, and the faster he did find Mystery, the sooner he could get back inside where it was warm and hopefully get back to sleep. He shouldn’t even need to try and wake Vivi up. But even outside, the dog was still nowhere to be seen, though Mystery must have been scratching at the back door just moments ago.

“Mystery?” Arthur called, his fatigued mind struggling to sense of anything. The mechanic blearily scanned his surroundings, trying to rub the last remnants of sleep from his eyes, before he caught a glimpse of a white shape moving quickly away.

“Mystery, wait! What’s wrong?” Arthur shouted, his voice muffled by the snowstorm and apparently unheard by the kitsune who continued to move towards the horizon. He quickly began to follow after the figure as it began to blend into the white flurry and disappear. Even as his mind conjured ridiculous images of yetis and other untold dangers waiting for him, the mechanic continued his pursuit, worried for his friend. Mystery had been acting strangely yesterday, and something had clearly been bothering him, even if he wouldn’t say what. Arthur called for the kitsune again, but the words were ripped away by the wind before he could scarcely hear them himself. The tired mechanic trudged through the deep snow, ignoring the vague thrill of alarm at the back of his mind that _something wasn’t right_ , and kept walking. His head still muzzy from lack of sleep, he didn’t notice that there were no pawprints on the path he followed, but the snow was quickly filling in the footprints he’d left behind. Back in the van, unseen by the mechanic, a white dog was buried under a pile of blankets, ears twitching at phantom voices that seemed to call for him in his sleep. Vivi reached out for her friend, instinctively seeking comfort and warmth as the temperature began to drop despite the best efforts of the space heater, a draft whistling in through the crack in the unlatched door. Finding no one there, she curled up tighter, a small frown disturbing her once relaxed features as she fell into a more troubled sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, that took longer than expected. But I'm back! It's probably going to take me longer to produce future chapters, but I've got rough (really rough) drafts for the next two or three already started. Again, if it's going to take me more than two weeks to put up the next chapter, I can put up a little hiatus warning. Hope you guys enjoy! Send me some kudos so I know you're still out there ^^;

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the field of flowers spread before Vivi welcomingly. Blossoms of every shape and color swayed in the gentle breeze as she walked along the winding path that cut through the meadow. It was pleasant, perfect even, but Vivi couldn’t help but feel that something was off. Normally, she was the one to look on the bright side of things, but now she was peering at the flowers surrounding her suspiciously, wondering how such an idyllic landscape had her so disturbed. She continued to walk through the flowers, passing purple rose bushes and blue orchids, her curiosity at where the path lead warring with her unease. She was just about to take a sharp turn along the trail when a lone sunflower caught her eye. Vivi stepped off the path, drawn towards the tall flower. Something about it was almost familiar. She traipsed through the florae, ignoring the stems and leaves that seemed to wrap around her ankles and hold her back. Finally making her way to the sunflower, she noticed it had begun to wither. As warm as it was, frost crept along its leaves, and a small crowd of orange daisies shivered at its roots. Even as she watched, the icy tendrils continued to spread, wrapping around the flower’s stem. She didn’t understand why, but it made her feel terribly sad. She reached out a hand, brushing delicately at the yellow petals. At her touch, the echo of a well-known laugh, awkward yet endearing, filled her head.

“Arthur…?”

As soon as the name left her mouth, the gentle breeze turned into an cold gust of wind. The flowers all around her disappeared in a flurry of multicolored petals, sunny yellow slipping through her fingers, sucked away by the vortex that was blasting across the once peaceful meadow. Nothing remained. Even the path she was on had vanished along with the sun. Vivi was alone in the darkness. Lost, she wandered the void blindly, knowing she was missing something, some _one_. Their name was on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn’t remember. Her sense of unease grew worse by the second as she stumbled through the inky blackness. The wind carried the sound of a familiar laugh, barely able to be heard over the howling gale, and she frantically chased after it. She recognized that sound, had known moments ago who made it, yet she still couldn’t place it. What she did know was that something was wrong and she had to find him. Even as she attempted to follow the sound back to it’s source, it morphed into a cold and bitter cackle she didn’t recognize. Another icy blast of air caused her to shiver and—

Vivi blinked awake in the dark interior of the van.

It took her a moment to remember where she was, groggier than usual for having woken up in the middle of the night. She breathed a sigh of relief as things finally clicked back into place: the road trip, the snow day, drifting off to sleep next to Arthur while the movie played. As she fondly recalled events from the past couple of days, the last unsettling remnants of her dream began to fade from memory. The bizarre nightmare was something she’d be glad to forget. While she could now scarcely remember what the dream was about, the feelings of dread it inspired lingered, and the chill from that dark place seemed to have invaded the waking world. She must have tossed the blankets off in her sleep, but the van had been a comfortable temperature before without them. Vivi shivered against the cold, curling in on herself tightly.

“Arthur, I think the heater’s out,” she groaned tiredly. She was loathe to wake the mechanic when he was catching up on some badly needed rest, but at this rate, they’d both be frozen solid by the time the sun came up. She waited for a response, but none came. Vivi reached out to where she’d last remembered her friend to be, but her searching hands fell on nothing but empty air and scrunched up blankets. She didn’t hear Arthur tinkering around or the familiar click of his laptop’s keyboard either, both tell-tale signs of another bout of insomnia. All she could hear was the wind moaning outside and a mechanical hum from nearby. Puzzled by the discordant noises she heard, she forced her drooping eyelids open to glance around her. She could just make out the shape of the space heater, working hard to keep up with the dropping temperatures, but failing nonetheless as a frigid draft seeped into the van.

“Artie?” She called. The only reply was a shrill whistle of wind through a crack in the doors. She was certain they’d been shut tight before the Mystery Skulls had settled in for the night, but as she shuffled closer, she found the doors unlatched. Peering out the back windows, Vivi hoped to catch a glimpse of the mechanic. There was nothing but a field of white snow stretching on for as far as the eye could see. She scrambled towards the front of the van, disappointed to see that the seats were empty as well. Craning her head to look out the windows on all sides, she checked for any sign of her missing friend, but all she could make out in the darkness was more snow. Her frantic search had awakened the other sleeping occupant of the van however. Mystery emerged from underneath the mound of blankets Vivi had woken up next to, shaking himself free of his cozy entrapment.

“Vivi? What’s going on?” The dog yawned.

“I can’t find Arthur!” Vivi exclaimed. Mystery was immediately alert at her admission, his ears standing up straight and his nose in the air.

“Have you tried his cell phone?” The dog asked, intently sniffing his surroundings. Cursing herself that she hadn’t already thought of that, Vivi quickly pulled out her phone and dialed her friend’s number. A responding buzz sounded from the corner of the van. Glancing over, she could see Arthur’s phone rattling along the floor as it vibrated, the screen brightly lit with a picture they’d taken together last summer.

 _“H-hey, you’ve reached the voicemail of Arthur Kingsmen. I can’t come to the phone right now—”_ Disheartened, Vivi hung up before the beep. There was no doubt left in her mind that something was very wrong, the feeling of dread she’d woken up with intensifying every minute she couldn’t find her friend.

“He must have forgotten it, but he wouldn’t just go wander off in the snow! Do you think something happened to him?” She asked worriedly.

“I have a barrier in place around the van as a safeguard, nothing could get by it, I…” Mystery’s tail drooped midsentence, a very human-looking worry crossing his features.

“…I can’t sense him,” the kitsune said after a moment. Vivi hadn’t seen him look that unsettled since Shiromori, and it made her panic increase tenfold.

 _“Lewis, we need you!”_ She called frantically. A coffin swiftly appeared in the middle of the van, displacing the two occupants in the already cramped space. The casket’s lid swung outwards violently as Lewis made a harried entrance.

“Vivi! I heard you summon me, what’s wrong?”

“We can’t find Arthur,” she said hurriedly, “Mystery even tried to use his ‘puppy powers’ to locate him, but he can’t sense Arthur at all!”

“Normally, I’d be able to track any of one of you from miles away,” Mystery elaborated, trying to regain his composure, “Right now, aside from us here in the van, everything else is just…blank.” The kitsune paused for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought, before he let loose a string of obscenities in Japanese.

“It’s the snow,” Mystery growled, “It has to be, it’s covering up his soul scent. This isn’t a normal snowstorm, there must be something supernatural causing it…I can’t believe I missed it!”

“Soul scent?” Lewis asked.

“Every soul vibrates at a different frequency,” the kitsune explained, “Like the waves of light that make up the color spectrum. I can smell them, the frequency your soul vibrates at, and any other spirit or monster that may be lurking in the shadows.”

“That makes sense,” Vivi said, nodding her head slowly.

“Does it?” Lewis asked, looking at her in surprise.

“No, but we don’t have time for it to, we have to find Arthur!” Vivi exclaimed, “If you can detect other spirits and monsters, why weren’t you able to sniff anything out?”

“That’s just it, I tried. Whatever is out there that’s causing this, its soul doesn’t have a color. It just blends in with the snow.”

“So it’s like white noise for your nose, blocking out whatever other colors you might…’sniff out’,” Lewis said.

“Exactly,” Mystery replied, “I thought my lack of ability to detect anything out there asides from us meant we were safe, but the nothing I detected _was_ something.”

“Ugh, that’s too many mixed up senses,” Vivi said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “Any ideas on what we’re dealing with here? Is it some kind of cryptid, like the abominable snowman or something?”

“I have a theory,” Mystery said, shifting from paw to paw, _“Yuki-onna.”_

“Snow woman?” Vivi repeated back in English.

“Another kind of yōkai. It’s been many, _many_ years since I’ve encountered one myself, but I remember those spirits had the same white non-scent. In all my hundreds of years, I’ve never heard of one existing outside of Japan though!” Mystery growled in frustration.

“Are they some kind of ghost then?” Lewis asked.

“In some stories, yes. There are legends that the yuki-onna was the spirit of a woman seeking vengeance after she was lured out into the snow and murdered…I suppose it’s possible a ghost that originated from similar circumstances could be likened to the yōkai of my homeland,” Mystery frowned, “Those aren’t the only stories though. The legends are as varied as her names, and the stories change from region to region. In some tales, she’s merely an ephemeral visitor in winter, completely harmless. In others, she lures her victims out into the cold and drains their life force as she freezes them to death. They’re fickle creatures, in my experience.”

“So there might be some sort of snow-ghost-vampire- _thing_ out there with Arthur? Why are we still standing here!” Vivi said, already heading for the door. She was shoving her feet into her boots when a swatch of orange caught her eye.

“He doesn’t even have his hoodie with him…” she fretted, picking up the garment from where it lay on the van’s floor. She felt a hand rest lightly on her shoulder.

“We’ll find him,” Lewis said sympathetically, but he couldn’t hide the worry that painted his skull.

“I know, Lew,” she said, willing herself to believe it. The events from the past year had undeniably shaken her confidence. She was supposed to be the brave one, the one to rush into danger without thinking because she was so sure everything would turn out alright in the end. The one to lead them all through it unscathed on grit and determination alone. She knew there were risks and danger in what they were doing, but she’d still believed they’d all come out on top in the end. But no matter how charismatic, or optimistic, or _foolhardy_ she was, things didn’t always turn out alright. She couldn’t help but feel that she was letting her friends down again. She hadn’t been there when her friends had needed her before, couldn’t remember enough of Lewis to even try and find him or help Arthur with his search. She was determined that this time would be different. Vivi quickly threw on her coat, picking up Arthur’s hoodie to take with her as well. Grabbing a flashlight, Vivi threw open the doors to the outside, recoiling at the sudden blast of wind and snow that assaulted her. Not to be deterred, she hopped out of the van, the snow swallowing her legs up to her knees. The wind whipped violently around her face, her blue tresses flying. The thick flurry of snow all around her made it difficult to see, but she could make out enough of her surroundings to tell that Arthur’s footprints were nowhere to be found. She could feel despair creeping in like the winter’s chill as Mystery bounded out next to her.

“How are we going to find him?” She asked the dog sadly, “Without you being able to track his soul scent, without his phone, his footprints…how are we going to find him?”

“We’ll just have to search on foot and hope for the best,” the kitsune replied solemnly.

“He could have gone in any direction,” Lewis reasoned as he came to float next to them, hovering inches above the snow, “How will we even know where to start?”

“We won’t,” Mystery said grimly, “All we can do is pick a direction and hope we get lucky.” Vivi swallowed thickly, already hating the words before they came out of her mouth.

“We’ll cover more ground if we split up,” she said. They’d split up on investigations plenty of times before, but that was before they’d lost Lewis. Before she _remembered_ losing Lewis. Afterwards, she had vowed to herself they would never split up again, that they would always be there to look out for each other. She didn’t want to let her friends and her dog out of her sight ever again, worried they wouldn’t make it back this time. But with Arthur missing, she didn’t feel like they had a choice.

“Absolutely not!” Lewis said, whirling to face her, “We’ve already lost Arthur, I’m not going to—!”

“We can cover three times as much ground if we each pick a different direction, that’s three times more likely to find Arthur!” Vivi argued.

“I agree with Vivi,” Mystery cut in, intervening before the argument could escalate any further, “But Lewis has a point. It’s dangerous out here, and we’re not going to be able to keep in contact once we separate. Therefore, I’ll stay with Vivi.”

“I can handle myself!” Vivi argued.

“Your magic is still developing,” Mystery said bluntly, “You don’t have very good control over it yet, when you have any control at all. Plus, we have no idea what’s really out there. You’d be safer to have somebody with you…and I know I would feel better if you weren’t alone.”

“Fine,” Vivi conceded unhappily. She’d come a long way with the magic lessons Mystery had been giving her in their spare time, but she knew he was right. She’d been relying on spell tags to have some control over her developing magic, and so far the results without them ranged from pitiful to disastrous.

“Me and Mystery can stick together. Lewis, will you be okay by yourself?”

“Lewis is more than capable of taking care of himself,” Mystery huffed, cocking an eyebrow at the ghost in question, “We’ve all seen him in action.” The specter had the decency to look a little sheepish at that.

“I’ll be fine,” Lewis agreed, “And I should be able to travel fairly quickly on my own.”

“Then it’s settled,” Mystery said, his canine features beginning to lengthen into something more vulpine, more threatening looking, “Vivi, I suggest we take the tree line. I took a cursory glance in that direction earlier, it’ll be easier for me to track anybody who has passed through there.”

“I’ll take the open snow field then. Everything’s so flat and empty, Arthur should be easy enough to spot out there,” Lewis said. He gave a curt nod before he was racing off across the snow with supernatural speed, gliding over the surface without disturbing it, eager to begin the search. Vivi was already marching through the snow in the opposite direction, Mystery keeping pace with her as his nose keenly scented the wind hoping to catch a whiff of their missing friend. Even with the flashlight she’d grabbed helping to illuminate their surroundings, it felt as if the darkness was closing in on them. Vivi was struck with a feeling of déjà vu as she and Mystery struggled through the thick snowdrifts, reminded of the dream she had woken from only minutes ago. Once again, she was lost in the darkness.

She called out for Arthur as they trudged through the snow, pushing down her disappointment every time she received no response. Soon enough, they came to the edge of the forest. The trees loomed over them, reaching out with gnarled and twisted limbs, their branches hanging low, heavy with snow. She could hear them creaking under the weight. Under any other circumstances, she would have loved the spooky atmosphere, but tonight she only felt unsettled by it. Undaunted, she kept walking deeper into the woods, Mystery close behind her. The groaning of the trees mingled with the sound of the wind moaning as it wove between their trunks. Underneath it all, Vivi thought she heard someone cackling, the sound brittle as ice. She wondered if it was just her imagination, a remnant of her bad dream. But as she turned to ask Mystery if he’d heard it too, she saw his hackles raised and his ears twitching. Whatever was out there with them was more than just a nightmare.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Much later than I had hoped, but I am here nonetheless. After I rehomed the little foster kitten I was taking care off, my life kind of exploded and I got really bogged down with no time to write. But what else can you expect from 2020? Watching the latest MSA video has brought me back to life though; The Future was fantastic and so much fun! Glad I don't have to add a 'canon-divergent' tag onto this...but going forwards, I will be making at least some references to the latest music video, so BEWARE SPOILERS!
> 
> On a side note, I debated waiting to post this until I had some of the following chapters complete so I'd have a bit more of a buffer between what I had written/finished and what I have yet to write, especially since I've still got ~life stuff~ going on. But for those of you who are still with me from, what was it, June? I think we've all waited long enough. I don't know when the next chapter will be ready, but it is coming. I hope you enjoy!

Lewis glanced behind him to watch as Vivi and Mystery disappeared into the woods, the flashlight beam wavering as his friends passed behind trees and headed deeper into the forest. His own fluorescence gave the surrounding snowdrifts a soft, pink glow, illuminating his path as he headed along where he guessed the road to be under the thick blanket of snow. The ghost fought the urge to turn around and check on Vivi and Mystery again, knowing if he gave in now he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from watching until the last glimmer of their flashlight faded from view. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them to take care of themselves. He knew how fearsome Mystery could be, even after his injury, and though Vivi was frustrated by her lack of mastery over magic, she’d taken to it readily. If her friends were in danger, Lewis knew nothing would stop her, magic or no. It was just hard for him to give up old habits. He couldn’t help but think of being the protector as his role in the group, especially after so many years of Arthur hiding behind him. Despite his size, Lewis had never been much of a fighter when he was alive. He’d always relied on his height and broad shoulders to intimidate, whether it was Arthur’s high school bullies or whatever monster of the week had decided to pick a fight with them. His death had surprisingly come with a few benefits, the supernatural speed at which he now travelled being just one of them. Already he had come to the bend in the road where their near miss had occurred just days ago, the guardrail and sign warped out of place from the impact with the van. Lewis ran his hand along the arrow on the sign, brushing loose snow to the ground. 

It was hard to believe that they had been having snowball fights and drinking hot cocoa just the other day. The snow which had once been so entrancing to him now seemed ominous and deadly, the winter wonderland having transformed into a frozen wasteland. Lewis suppressed a shiver. He shouldn’t have been able to feel the freezing temperatures, but the cold gnawed at his bones nonetheless. He was reminded of the walk-in freezer at the Pepper Paradiso. Once, while he’d still been in high school, Lewis had accidentally locked himself in the walk-in at the restaurant. He’d only been stuck for about fifteen minutes, but the cold had seemed unbearable for even that short amount of time. He’d been lucky that Ma and Pa Pepper were so quick to get him out. He couldn’t get his teeth to stop chattering until his mom had fixed him up a special batch of her hot chocolate flavored with cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Lewis remembered sitting in the dining area, cradling his mug of hot chocolate as his dad rubbed a hand up and down his arm to help warm him up. His mother had been livid and had immediately called the fridge manufacturer to demand they send someone to replace the faulty door release on the inside of the walk-in. Despite his parents’ best efforts, the chill hadn’t left him until late that night when he was curled up in bed, bundled in extra blankets. 

Lewis wondered just how long Arthur had been gone before the others had discovered him missing. He feared that the mechanic had been gone too long already. He knew now just how fragile people were, and given Arthur’s tendency to stress himself out and forgo basic needs, he worried for the mechanic more than most. Shifting his focus from his worries to the task at hand, Lewis turned to search the expanse of snow surrounding him, trying to find a sign that the mechanic had been this way at all. Each direction looked the same as the others though. It was impossible to tell if it was because Lewis had picked the wrong way to go or if the belligerent snowfall had simply covered Arthur’s tracks. Without any kind of path to follow, Lewis picked a direction at random. Phasing through the twisted metal of the guardrail, he sped away from the road into the snowy fields beyond to continue his search. The plains the ghost now flew over were as flat and empty as the rest of the landscape had been. Lewis hoped it would make the mechanic easy to spot, even with the moon covered by clouds and the thick snowfall still coming down. The snow in the distance went almost blue with shadows, but if he passed close enough to the mechanic, the ghost was sure he would recognize the bright orange color his friend so frequently wore. 

“Arthur!” Lewis called. The snow on the ground muffled his shout, and the lowly moaning winds quickly drowned out the remaining sound. Still, Lewis couldn’t help but feel disappointed when he received no response. The spirit pushed onwards, constantly scanning his surroundings for a glimpse of familiar orange amidst all the white. As he rushed further away from the road to continue his search for Arthur, Lewis was struck with a sense of déjà vu. For a moment, he could have sworn that the snowy landscape had shifted, changing from a seemingly barren tundra to a familiar hallway, lined with portraits and doors that looped back in on each other in impossible patterns. The stripes in the wallpaper blurred together as he flew by, hunting down the scrawny mechanic that had betrayed him.

 _“Arthur!”_ the ghost bellowed.

Lewis skidded to an abrupt halt, shocked by the wrathful tone of his own voice. As he looked around again, he was back in the snowy field that lay beyond the bend in the road, no haunted mansion in sight. Just an endless, featureless white landscape. It had all been so real, the desire to find Arthur and punish him so strong, that for a moment Lewis had forgotten where he was. He’d forgotten _himself_ and had lost the careful control he had on his anger. Even now that the specter had forgiven Arthur and come to peace with his own demise, the rage never seemed to go away. It was always simmering just below the surface, waiting for him to slip up and boil over. Afterall, it wasn’t just his attachment to Vivi that had brought him back, but his desire for vengeance as well. This anger was a part of him now, as much as he hated it, as much as he was _afraid_ of it. Normally he kept it buried deep, able to force it back down whenever it reared its ugly head. He hadn’t felt such an intense flare of rage in months, and his fury had never boiled over without any provocation before. The imagined cold that had seeped into his bones was now completely burned out, the golden locket that served as his anchor thrumming with anger. 

Did he really still hate his friend so much?

Lewis shook his skull back and forth, his hair flickering wildly at the movement. He had to keep it together. He thought back to all the late night conversations with Arthur that had helped to keep his loneliness at bay over the last few months. How before the cave, they would camp out on top of the van and look at the stars, guessing at the names of constellations, the mechanic at ease enough to fill the silence with idle chatter about science fiction and space travel. He remembered how his friend had helped him study for the law school he’d hoped to get into, shuffling through stacks of flash cards filled with legal jargon over milkshakes at the restaurant. Teenage years spent at each other’s houses, sleepovers filled with binge watching _Sailor Moon_ and suffering through Surf’s Up Pizza because he knew how much Arthur liked it. The only kid in middle school who had readily accepted that Lewis hadn’t been a part of the Pepper household up until the day he was. 

The ghost put a hand to his anchor, willing himself to calm down as he wrapped his fingers around the heart-shaped locket. He didn’t hate Arthur. At least, not anymore. Facing down a murderous, possessed kitsune together hadn’t magically spirited away the hurt Lewis had felt. His behavior towards Arthur had ranged from cold to cruel in the first couple of months following their reunion. During one disastrous case, it had gotten bad enough that the mechanic had almost walked away from the Mystery Skulls for good. While on an investigation out of town, Lewis had lost his tenuous grip on his temper and had blown up at the mechanic to a nuclear degree. Arthur had fled, even leaving his precious van behind, determined to hitchhike his way back home to Tempo. Mystery had tried to talk the mechanic out of it, but Vivi had ended up having to drag Arthur away from the roadside herself. With the mechanic refusing to talk, the blue-haired girl had resorted to taking him to a bar and had plied him with alcohol to get him to open up. Arthur had finally broken down into a blubbering mess after several drinks. Once their tab had been paid and the mechanic tucked away safely in the back of the van to sleep it off, Vivi had tracked down Lewis to give the ghost a piece of her mind with a stern lecture that Ma Pepper would have been proud of. While she was sympathetic to the ghost’s position, she reminded him that it wasn’t really Arthur who had pushed him off the cliff, and that the mechanic had been devastated and desperate to find Lewis after he’d gone missing. Vivi also pointed out it wasn’t fair to force her to choose between the faithful friend she’d had by her side over the past year and someone she had only just started to remember having loved. Faced with the prospect of tearing the Mystery Skulls apart and driving away the people he cared about, the ghost had begrudgingly agreed to try and put the past behind him.

With the winter winds swirling around him, Lewis could feel the beating of the heart in his hand slow to a steady _thump, thump, thump_ as he reminisced. Things had been hard at first. The smallest of slights irked the ghost, and it took tremendous concentration to think before he snapped. He had still failed on occasion, with his only choice then being to leave his friends behind while he cooled off. Little by little though, he was able to box up his resentment and pack it away, having a much easier time dealing with it in smaller pieces. He then found he could control his anger, and even if it had become a part of him, it didn’t have to control him. Talking with Mystery had helped. The kitsune had centuries of life experience to draw from, and was more than happy to offer advice or just sit back and listen when Lewis needed him to. Vivi was just as willing to help, but couldn’t always stop herself from offering up ideas and solutions when Lewis talked about his problems. Sometimes it was nice to have someone to just listen without interruption. With time, practice, and help from his friends, the ghost was finally able to be around Arthur again, and being around his former friend reminded Lewis of why they had been friends in the first place. After a while, he found he actually liked being around Arthur, even in their new circumstances. He wanted to try and be friends again, but there had been so much to remedy between them. It had taken a long time for the mechanic to let his guard down around the ghost, not that Lewis could blame him. When he finally did, they had slowly begun to mend their friendship, but something was still missing. Lewis struggled at times to keep his distance, not wanting the mechanic to feel uncomfortable or threatened by his presence after so much bad blood between them. He waited respectfully for Arthur to bridge the gap, but, even now, the mechanic still seemed wary of him. Lewis had to wonder if his friend just needed more time or if he’d irreparably broken something between them. The ghost would never forgive himself if he’d missed his chance to fix things. Lewis looked at the locket in his hand and flipped it open. Eyes unclouded by anger, he could clearly see the picture of the four of them it contained. Together, just the way they should be. 

All he wanted now was his best friend back. 

Lewis heaved a sigh, closing the locket again as he prepared to continue his search. The sight of the golden heart had given him an idea. Concentrating, the spirit summoned his coffin, the dark lacquered wood standing out against the snow. The casket lid sprung open to reveal six purple-colored spirits, each adorned with a small golden heart of their own. The Dead Beats immediately poured out of the coffin, winding around Lewis’s shoulders and bumping up against his shins. Vivi had been enthralled to be able to study the small ghosts up close once they’d been formally introduced. According to Mystery, they were weaker spirits drawn to Lewis’s power, feeding on his cast-off energy. The kitsune had assured the Mystery Skulls that they weren’t some kind of paranormal parasite though, and no harm would come to Lewis from their presence. It was a symbiotic relationship, and while there was no direct benefit to him, Lewis did find he enjoyed their company. They reminded him of affectionate cats sometimes. Especially with the way they rubbed against his legs, humming instead of purring, as they did now.

“I’m happy to see you too,” Lewis said earnestly, patting at one of the little specters’ heads, “But right now I need your help. Can you do something for me?” 

The Dead Beats harmonized in a way he knew meant ‘yes’. 

“Good,” he replied, “Arthur is missing. I need you to split up and help me look for him. If you find him, come tell me where he is right away. Can you do that?” 

Another affirmative humming sound. 

“Thank you! Please, go as quick as you can!” Lewis set about pointing each of the Dead Beats in a different direction, one of them doubling back to see if Arthur had travelled further along the road Lewis had left behind. The others fanned out through the field to cover more ground and expand their search radius. Lewis watched as they took off in every direction, zipping over the snowbanks as they began to search for the mechanic. Satisfied, he continued forwards on the path he’d chosen for himself. There were now six extra sets of eyes looking for the lost mechanic. Lewis only hoped that if one of them did find Arthur, they wouldn’t try to play any tricks on him. The Dead Beats had quite a mischievous streak, with Arthur being the favorite target of their practical jokes and pranks. Having the extra help in his search was a huge relief, but Lewis knew he wouldn’t truly feel at ease until his friend had been safely recovered. 

_Please don’t let me be too late…to find him…to fix things._

There was still so much Lewis wanted to say. They never talked about that night in the cave, and though sometimes Lewis felt that they didn’t have to, he did wonder if it would help. He hoped he would get the chance to find out. While Lewis had calmed himself considerably, his worried thoughts still tumbled about like a brewing storm as he continued the search for his missing friend. He ignored that, deep beneath the hopes and fears he felt, a spark of anger was still burning in his chest, refusing to go out.


End file.
